steenberger



(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. STERNBER-GER `8v P. G. TEBS.

IRONING MACHINE. Nvo. 264,966. vPatented Sept. 26, 1882.

@JM/ @M) N PETERS. Pvmu-Liahugmpnen wnshmgnm D. c.

(NoModel.) sneets-s'heet 2. L. STERNBERGER 8v I'. G. TEES.`

IRONING MACHINE.

No. 264,966'l Y Patented Sept. 26,1882.

lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEOPOLD SIERNBERGER AND FREDERICK G. TEES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID TEES ASSIGNOR TO SAID STERNBERGER.

lRONING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0,264,966, dated September 26, 1882. Application filed January 17, 1881. Renewed March 11, 1882. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, LEOPOLD STERNBER- Gna and FREDERICK G. TEEs, both of the city and county of Philadelphia, iu the State ot' Pennsylvania, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing-Machines, of which improvements the followingis a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide imio proved mechanism for the ironing and polishing of garments and textile fabrics; and to this end our improvements consist in certain novel devices and combinations for the attainment of the following results, to wit: the si t 1n ultaneous variation of the degree of traverse and the number of movements of a reciprocating table in such relation one to the other as to maintain a uniform speed of the table irrespective of its length of stroke; the adjustzo 'ment of a reciprocating table relatively to a fixed iron or to the center of motion of'a reciprocatin g iron, so as to confine the action of the iron to certain desired portions of the table; and the application, with dierent de- 2 5 grees of pressure, of the iron to the table and its instantaneous removal therefrom, as required. f

The improvements claimed, which, while specially designed for application in ironingmachines, are likewise susceptible of adaptation to other uses, are hereinafter more fully set forth.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal central section through an ironing-machine embodying our improvements;

Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section through the same; Figs. 3 and 4, vertical longitudinal and vertical transverse sections, respectively, throughthe iron, and Fig. 5, a plan view of an 4o ironing-board.

To carry out our invention, we provide a substantial frame,` A, having at top longitudinal guides a, in which a reciprocating table, B, is supported upon friction-rollers b. Thetable B carries upon its top aboard, B', which receives the article to be ironed, and its motion is derived through the intermediate mechanism, presently to be described, from a countershaft, O, mounted in bearings c and carrying 5o fast and loose pulleys C O2, around which passes a belt transmitting power from a prime mover. A vertical shaft, D, is mounted and supported in a lower bearing, d', and in Vthe bearing c of a ruiter-gear, E, which is fitted upon a key, d, ou the shaft D, so as to admit longitudinal movement ot' the shaft within it, while rotating with said shaft at any :and all points in the range of such longitudinal movement. Vertical standards E are secured to the hub or tubular shaft of the gear E, and 6o horizontalguides e' are formed upon or secured to the upper ends of the standards E', within which guides an adjustable crank-arm, F, carrying a crank-mmf, is supported on friction-rollersf. The crank-pinj'tits in atrans- 65 verse groove or recess, b', formed in a frame or casing, B5, supported upon friction-rollers b5 in guides a', located below and parallel with the guides c of the table, the frame B5 having end bearings, b3, on its upper side, iu which 7o bearings a screw, B2, is mounted so as to be capable of rotation by a shaft, B4, and hand'- wheel B3. A nut, b2, is secured centrally upon the lower side ot' the table B and engages the thread ot' the screw B2. During the rotation 75 of the 'shaft D the crank-pin f imparts reciprocating movements to the frame B5 and the table B (connected therewith, as before described, by the screw B2 and nut b2) by its traverse along the groove b', and the throw of 8o the crank F is increased or decreased coincidently with a corresponding decrease or increase of the speed of the shaft D, so as to maintain a uniform speed of the table B, in the following manner: f

A horizontal shaft, G, located at right angies to the counter-shaft C, has upon one of its ends a hand-lever, g, by which it may be rocked in its bearings, the lever being retained in diiierent desired positions by a spring-dc- 9o tent, g4, engagingwnotches in a segment, g2. A toothed segment, g3, on the shaft Gr engages the teeth of arack, D,havingon its back one or lnore lugs or projecting arms, d2, each of which ts freely between collars xed upon the shaft D, so that when the rack D is elevated or depressed by the segment g3 it imparts a corresponding longitudinal movement to the shaft D without interfering with the movements of rotation imparted to the latter 1ro by the miter-gear E. Racks D2 upon the upper end of the shaft D mesh with pinions E2 upon a short horizontal shaft mounted in hearings in the standards E', (which are secured, as before stated, to the shaft of the gear E.) A segment-gear, E2, secured upon theshaft of the pinions E2, engages the teeth of the rack f2 on the crank-arm F, and, accordingly as the hand-lever g' is moved to the right or the left ot' Fig.1, moves said arm and its attached crankpin ftoward or from the center of the shaft D, thereby correspondingly increasing or decreasing thc, throw of the crank and consequent traverse of the table B. The rotative speed of the shaftD is increased or decreased coincidently with and proportionately to the decrease or increase respectively of the crankthrow by changing the position of a frictionwheel, U3, which is secured upon a sleeve, c3, tted on a key or squared portion of the counter-shaft O, a slotted arm, g, secured on the shaft G, engaging pins on aring fitted between collars on the sleeve c3, and movingthe sleeve and wheel C longitudinally upon the counter-shaft, in accordance with the movements of the hand-lever g', by which the shaft D is raised or lowered. The periphery of the wheel U is in frictional contact with the face of a disk, Hupon one end of a horizontal shait, h, the opposite end of which carries a miter-gear, H', meshing with the gear E, to which and to the shaft E rotation from the counter-shaft is thus imparted. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that as the shaft D is elevated to reduce the throw of the crank the wheel C3 is moved toward the center of the' disk H, and consequentlyincreases the speed ot' the latter and of the shaft D, and, conversely, that as the shaft D is lowered to increase the throw of the crank the wheel C is.

moved in the opposite direction, and proportionately reduces the speed of the shaft, thus causing the table B to be moved at the same speed, irrespective of the dii'erent degrees of traverse imparted to it by the changes of crank-throw, the object of such variations of traverse being to adapt the machine to operation upon articles ofn different sizes, as may from time to time be desired, the same requiring for their proper treatment to be subjected to a uniform determined speed in the ironing operation.

The iron or polisher I, the construction and mode of operation of which will be hereinaf-N ter described, is supported above the board B ata point about in line with the axis of the shaft D, and the position ofthe table is changed relatively to the center of the iron, so that the action of the latter shall he limited to a certain desired portion ot' the board B' by the rotation of the screw B2 in one or Vthe other direction, which rotation is et'ected by means of a shalt, B4, passing centrally through the screw. B2, said shaft being rotatable in a bearing in the upper portion of the frame A by a handwheel, B2. A portion of the shaft B4 entering the screw B2 is squared or provided with a longitudinal key or feather fitting a corresponding recess in the screw, or vice versa', so

that the rotation of the shaft in either direction imparts a corresponding movement of rotation to the screw, while admitting of the longitudinal movement of the screw upon the shaft, the result being that according as the nut b2, to which the table is attached,is moved bythe screw toward the right or the left of Fig. l the range of traverse of the table will be about a right line to the right or to the left of the center of the shaft to which the iron I is connected, and the action of. the iron will consequently be exerted upon portions of the boardto the right or to the left of its center, as the case may be. 'The freedom of longitudinal movement afforded to the screw upon the shaft Bit enables the desired changes otl the center of traverse of the table relatively to the center ofthe iron to be made as well dur-A 'a reservoir, J2, into which it forces and compresses air to such pressure as may be desired, the same being indicated by a gage, and excess being relieved by a weighted valve, J3,

upon the reservoir. The'latter is connected yby a pipe with a three-way cock, J4, the passages in which communicate respectively with the atmosphere, and by pipes J5 and J6 with the two ends of a workingcylinder, J", having a piston, J8, secured upon a piston-rod, J 9, working through -stuing-boxes in its ends. Where two or more machines are employed in a single establishment or within a convenient distance of an aircompressing apparatus it will be obvious that a single lair-compressor will suffice for the entire series. The pistonrod J9 ofthe working-cylinder is connected to one end of an arm, J, projecting downwardly from a horizontal shaft, J, mounted in bearings upon standards J10 on the upper portion ofthe frame A of the machine, said shaft carrying a horizontal arm, J 2, projecting over the board B',

and having at its outer end a bearing, J, to which the iron I is connected. The arm J12 is hinged or pivoted vertically to the shaft Jl, so as to swivel thereon in a horizontal plane, to admit of the removal laterally of the iron from the board and to vibrate vertically with the movements of the shaft J18 in its bearings. Upon the admission of air from the reservoir J2 to the right side ot the piston J8 the latter is moved to the left, moving the arm J11 in the same direction and moving the outer end of the arm J12 downward, thereby applying the iron I tothe board B', the pressure with which degree ot' air-admission as regulated by the' The admission of air on three-way cock J4. the opposite side of the piston correspondingly moves the s'ame, with its connections, in the opposite directions, thereby raising the iron from the board, the air which has previously acted escaping through the discharge-opening of the cock J4. The iron I is heated by gas, and for the purpose of increasing the intensity of the combustion we provide an air-pipe, J1, leading from the reservoir J2 and connected with the gas-supply pipe J15, the mixture being led through a feed-pipe, Jl, governed by a cock or valve, J 17, to a series of burners located within the iron.

The iron I may be ot any preferred construction, and be either iixedV upon or connected with the capacity of motion relatively to the support J.

In order to attain the advantages of imparting motion to the iron independently ot' the table, properly applying heat, and preventing the access of oil to the work, we tind the following construction to be most convenient and desirable: 'Ihe support J13 carries on its lower end a block, K, in the center of which is the lower bearing for a shaft, 7c, by which reciprocating motion is imparted to the iron, the shaft being rotatedby a belt passing around a pulley, kf, on its upper end, and carrying a crank, k2, on its lower end. The block K and support J 3 are preferably connected by a balland-socket joint, and the shaft la formed in two parts, connected by a universal coupling located within said ball-and-socket joint, so as to admit of the movement ot' the block K and iron I in different planes, an instance of such construction, which does not form part of our presentinvention, being shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 17 4,589, granted to L. Sternberger and D. M. Pfautz, under date (if-March 7,1876. In such case the angle of the block K and its attached iron I to the ironing-board may be varied and governed by the operator as desiredby means of handles k3 on the block. The iron I, which is hollow and internally heated by gas-or a mixture of air and gas conducted by the pipe J1G to a series of burners, t?, having their apertures above its lower plate, is secured to the lower side of a box, L, closed at its sides and ends and open at top, and having on each of its sides alongitudinal rail or guide, l, the upper and lower sides of which form bearings for friction-rollers k3, journaled upon studs on the sides of the block K. A transverse slot or recess, l', is formed in the boX,`L by two flanges or ribs rising from its bottom plate, within which recess the pin of the crank k2 works, so as to impart reciprocating motion to the box L and the attached iron when the shaft 7c is rotated, the box and iron being supported by the lower series of friction-rollers on the block K. The box L serves as a reservoir which ncloses the working parts and collects and retains any oil that may drip therefrom,preventin g the access thereof to the work, and by the use of the'internal guides and crank-pin recess the length of the apparatus is reduced as far as practicable, while atl'ordin g proper facilities for the reeiprocation of theiron. To preserve the working parts from excessive heat, a wooden pad, L', having its outside covered with thin sheet metal, and having a recess in its top, forming an air-space above the same., is interposed between the iron I and box L, the pad L being 4further protected by an asbestos facing, l2, on

its lower side.

The board B', which receives the articles to `be ironed, is supported on rubber or other elastic material on the top of the table B, being furnished with pins or stops on lone of its ends to prevent its longitudinal displacement. Where the apparatus is used exclusively for the ironing of shirts we prefer that the `board shall be made of the general outline shown in Fig. G--that is to say, in the forni substantially of the body ot' a shirt, so that the latter may be tted above and below it and held in position by a suitable latch or button, and the action of the iron be applied, as is desirable, only to a single ply or thickness of the goods.

Inasmuch as certain features of our improvements maybe applied, without change of principle, to uses other than that ot' ironing and polishingfabrics, we do not limit them to such specific application, which we have here de-l scribed and shown as the bestmeans ot' clearly illustrating their construction and mode otoperation.

We claim `as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination ot' a table and rotary' crank with mechanism, substantially as described, for adjusting it transversely of its axis and connecting with and imparting reciprocating motion to said table, gearing whereby rotary motion is given to said crank, and mechanism,substantially as described,for simultaneously varying the rotative speed of the crank and altering its throw,

2. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a rotary crank with means for adjustment transversely of its axis, a reciprocating frame having a transverse groove or recess to receive [he crank-pin, an adjustingscrew mounted in bearings in said frame, a table secured to and supported by a nut fitted upon said adjusting-screw, and an iron or polisher supported above said table uponacenter within the range of the traverse ot the table along the adjusting-screw.-

3. A rotary crank with means for adjustment transversely of its axis, a reciprocating frame having a transverse groove to receive the crank-pin, an adjusting-screw mounted in bearings in said frame, and a table secured to and sup-ported by a nut fitted. upon said adjusting-screw,combined with an iron or polisher suspended from a rock-shaft above the IIO table, a working-cylinder having valved snpply-pipes connected with an air-compressor, and an arm connecting the piston-rod of the working cylinder with the rock-shaft that snpports the iron.

4 In an ironing-machine, a rotary and vertically-adjustable shaft provided with upper and lower racks, gearing for revolving said shaft, rotary standards supporting a pinion, land an upper oscillating toothed segment, said pinion engaging the upper rack, and arotary and transversely-adjustable crank provided with a rack engagingsaid upper toothed segment, combined with a lower oscillating toothed segment engaging the lower rack, a shifting friction-gear, and meansfor operating said segments and friction-gear conjointly, substantially as and i'or the purposes set forth.

5. In an ironing-machine, an air-pump and valved pipe, a reservoir and safety-valve, and a threeway cock whose passages communicate respectively with the atmosphere and with a pipe at eaehend of the working-cylinder, combined with an iron or polisher and suitable connecting devices, whereby the iron may be applied to th-e garmentorfabric with a greater or less degree ot' pressure and instantaneously removed therefrom.

6. rl`he combination, substantially as setv isher secured to said box on the side opposite that ou which the crank-pin recess is formed.

7. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a frame fitted to slide upon horizontal guides, a shaft capable of rotation, and a crank by which reciprocating movement is imparted to said frame, an adjusting-screw monnted'in bearings in said frame in the direction of its traverse, a table secured to and supported by a nut fitted upon said adjustingscrew, and a shaftmounted in a bearing fixed relatively to the frame and table, said shaft passing into and being adapted to rotate the adjusting-screw irrespective of the condition of rest or motion of the frame.

LEOPOLD STERNBERGER. FREDERICK G. TEES.

Witnesses J. SNOWDEN BELL, GEORGE T. KELLY.

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